Good Enough
by LawliPop
Summary: Maybe she'd always known. // One-sided ShirleyxLelouch. Implied LelouchxSuzaku.


_Lawli: __HOMG it's my first (and certainly not last..) Code Geass fic!! Honestly... I think it's pretty awful. But it's entitled to be, as my first fic for the fandom. lol But yeah. I like Shirley, and I always felt bad for her in the show because she really did love Lulu so damn much, and he never really gave her the time of day. Always focused on Suzaku more than anyone (not that I blame him... ) So here's a fic to 3 of my favorite characters. ^-^_

Please excuse OOC-ness. I do realize that even though his presence in the fic is brief, I made Suzaku seem like quite the little uke...

_Disclaimer: Don't own. Obviously._

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**Good Enough**

For his birthday, Shirley bought Lelouch a scarf – something stylish and (most importantly) practical, considering it was the month of January. It was gold, a regal color that suited Lelouch well; though no-one else knew, she'd always compared him to royalty (a prince, to be exact; Lelouch, her prince) – mused to herself at night that he must be of some royal blood, to be so beautiful and elegant and kind, because normal people just weren't born that perfect.

He'd smiled upon opening it, fingered the delicate material and whispered, "thank you Shirley," in that deep, soft voice of his that always sent pleasant tingles down her spine. But he sounded distant, as though his thoughts had already moved on passed the scarf. This didn't surprise her. Lelouch always seemed to have a lot on his mind, never seemed to have enough time to waste on her.

He allowed her to drape the scarf over his shoulders, bowing his head slightly as she wrapped it around his neck and blushing as her fingers brushed against his cheek (_did she do that intentionally_?). Now donned in the scarf, Lelouch was reminiscent of an emperor in expensive, regal sashes. He played with the material, stared at it with sparkling eyes and she wondered what he was thinking about. His expression seemed far too serene for thoughts about a birthday gift.

"It's beautiful," he finally said, and not long after that they parted ways.

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That afternoon Shirley found Lelouch and Suzaku leaving the special house on campus where Lelouch and his handicapped sister, Nunnally, lived. Shirley herself had only been there once or twice, as Lelouch was not comfortable with other people invading the safe haven that he'd built for him and his sister (so many times he'd turned her away when she'd come to the door, not refusing her company but blatantly not accepting her in his private life... _did he even realize_?).

It made her angry, jealous that he would allow Suzaku in and not her, and she hated that she felt that way. Suzaku was a good person. He was an Eleven, but he was a good person; he'd saved Lelouch's life before, she couldn't forget.

But still...

"Are you cold?"

There was a definite chill in the air, but it did not compare to the numbing chill that swept over Shirley's mind and body as she watched Lelouch unwind the scarf she'd just given him hours ago from around his neck and present it to Suzaku, who blinked twice before smiling and accepting it. Although it was not necessary Lelouch helped Suzaku wrap the scarf comfortably around his neck, and Suzaku blushed, quickly glancing away as Lelouch's fingers just barely grazed against his cheek and jaw line (_did he do that intentionally_?).

"Lelouch..."

The scarf looked just as good on Suzaku as it did on Lelouch, if not better, for it brought out the golden-brown highlights of his hair and complimented his eyes.

"It looks beautiful."

At that moment, as she backed away from the scene, trying to remember how to breathe again even though there seemed to be no reason to, Shirley realized that she would never be good enough for Lelouch.

No matter what she did – what presents she brought him, what clothes she wore to impress him – _no matter what_, she would never be good enough. She wasn't smart enough, pretty enough. It didn't matter that she loved him, that she'd always loved him. At that moment, she knew for sure.

And maybe she'd always known.


End file.
